Months later, the embattled emcee is apparently comfortable enough to take the MMG show on the road again, full band in tow, for a multi-city tour in the lead up to Mastermind, his sixth official LP. Following 2012’s Gold-certified God Forgives, I Don’t, Ross has been stingy with sharing the material with the public, with only two of its tracks—”Box Chevy” and the Future-assisted “No Games”—released so far. Coupled with his selections from this Fall’s Self Made Vol. 3 compilation and recent features for artists like Ace Hood, DJ Khaled and Jay-Z, that material offers a glimpse into what Rozay plans to give his fans when the album drops on December 17. Here, then, are five possible directions that he might take on Mastermind.

1. Go For The Jugular

When you’ve got shooters coming at you and your girl, choppers aimed at your Rolls Royce on your birthday, the rap game pretty much demands that you go hard. While nobody in their right mind would recommend that an entertainer try and start a war with a real-life gang, Ross can still channel that anger righteously back into his music. Incredulous and vengeful, “Box Chevy” tears into more than just haters, doling out threats in his most menacing bark. Mastermind would be well served by more of that and help insulate himself from accusations of softness in the face of danger. What’s more, rap fans value this type of response. 50 Cent, incidentally one of his longtime rivals, saw his star rise after being shot nine times and living to tell the tale as emboldened survivor. Rozay can score some serious points in the credibility department with a few particularly vicious bars.